Amerigo Gazaway & DJ DN³ – Radical Dreamers (Album Stream)

What was the start of all this?
When did the cogs of fate begin to turn?
Perhaps it is impossible to grasp that answer now,
From deep within the flow of time…

But, for a certanty, back then,
We loved so many, yet hated so much,
We hurt others and were hurt ourselves…

Yet even then, we ran like the wind,
Whilst our laughter echoed,
Under cerulean skies…

I don’t know how many of you’s here are into video games, but there was a time when video games weren’t almost all about graphics, but unbelievable stories, immersive gameplay, amazing innovations, and breath-taking soundtracks instead. Me, as a gamer, who got into that world since the european release of PlayStation in 1995, clearly can remember the unique feeling with each and every classic game I got in touch with back then. Even today not many can compete with the success and everlasting fame they’ve achieved almost 30 years ago, especially when it comes to JRPG’s (Japanese role-playing games).

One of them which is my all-time favorite, Final Fantasy VII, released in 1997, is one of the biggest examples, and also Chrono Cross (1999); a successor to Nintendo‘s hit game Chrono Trigger (1995), all three released by SquareSoft (today Square Enix). Both FF7 and Chrono Cross presented many ground-breaking features that were unmatched for many years to come and even at one point they became slight rivals between both sides of a horde of fans worldwide which eventually led ’em to become one of the best selling and best rated games of all time (Chrono Cross is one of maybe 20 games ever released that received a full 10 rating on GameSpot, so there’s that).

Why am I so focused on video games allava sudden, you’re asking? Well, I’ll get to that soon enough.

As said, Chrono Cross had a huge impact on the gaming world and one of the reasons to achieve that is its impeccable soundtrack composed by the Japanese composer Yasunori Mitsuda. His work on both Chrono Cross and Chrono Trigger are cited as one of the best soundtracks ever heard in video games and are praised by many composers and producers, within and outside the video gaming world. Our American friend with a Croatian address, Amerigo Gazaway, originally from Nashville, Tennessee, US of the A, in all of his creative might teamed up with another music creator, DJ DN³, to pay his respects to this legendary game and make an album that is completely based on its music.

Now, before we start I have to point out that, even though I adore the lo-fi movement, this album is nothing like it, but instead is a full on serious studio release for the audiophiles and beats connoisseurs. As you may know, Amerigo as a beat maker is heavily praised for his unique style of production, widely recognized for his studio projects like “Bizzare Tribe: A Quest to the Pharcyde”, “Fela Soul”, or “Yasiin Gaye”. As a passionate gamer, he also produced several video game soundtracks which eventually led him to his latest album; a nostalgic homage to retro games, gaming culture, childhood days, self-discovery, hip-hop, and much, much more. In the year when we’re marking the 24th anniversary of Chrono Cross we received an album, as described, that is a ‘perfect blend of nostalgia for hip-hop fans and gamers alike’.
Ladies and gents, we’re presenting “Radical Dreamers”.

I used to stay up late at night playing RPGs;
Or browsing LimeWire, downloading MP3s.
Started making mixtapes, and burned CDs;
In hopes that one day Dr. Dre would say he ‘heard my beats’.
Just a kid with big dreams and an USB;
Now I’m giving talks MOPOP and USC.
Never thought someday I would be an MC;
Or linkin’ up with the homie DJ DN³.

In the efforts to create the wholesome mood of ‘blast from the past’, all the fans of the aforementioned video game will get an instant feeling of sentimental reminiscing of the good ol’ days with not a worry in the world. Almost the whole album features a mellow, dreamy and somewhat jazzy atmosphere in harmony of the fantasy world of Chrono Cross. Most of the stuff is produced by DJ DN³, while Amerigo is more focused on lyricism, jumping on various topics throughout the album and also supported by featured artists Mega Ran and SkyBlew. His lyrical delivery is on point with nothing too complex to easily follow each and every line to understand the whole concept of what the artist wanted to express, like the healing powers of hip-hop in “The Remedy”, the series of questions about alternate realities and self-discovery in “Another World”, or words of encouragement to follow your dreams in the single “Radical Dreamers”.

It’s important to emphasize the fact that even though the album draws a big inspiration from Chrono Cross and Chrono Trigger, the album varies with levels of implemented video game influence, both lyrically and instrumentally. After all, this is a hip-hop album and you can’t have too much of everything. The whole concept is done almost impeccably in that way so even though you may not be a video game fan at all, you can find satisfaction while listening to the album as the lyrics, sampling and overall music creation are something worthy of analyzing. Hip-hop is a culture of expressing oneself; personal experiences, inspirations, wishes, goals, creativity, introspection, and much more. The only difference here is, the creative process of putting a thought on paper is more of a fantasy exploration to give more purpose to the real world, as an epic adventure. Gazaway explains that perfectly in a concise manner:

Creating ‘Radical Dreamers’ has been a dream in itself, and DN³ has provided the perfect soundtrack for me to channel my innermost thoughts and aspirations. This album represents a fusion of my love for gaming and hip-hop, and it’s a tribute to those who dare to dream radically.

DJ DN³, a product of the Philadelphia area currently residing in Phoenix, AZ, and a winner of a ‘DJ of The Year’ by the Phoenix New Times in 2017, also comments on the joint project:

Linking up with one of the most accomplished remix artists in Hip-Hop was such an amazing thing for me. Amerigo‘s expressions, ear, and passion for that classic sound are what Hip-Hop and gaming fans, like myself, have been waiting for.

“Radical Dreamers” is a captivating project and an exciting musical adventure that ignited my frozen fire since the first dropped single. Knowing Amerigo‘s never-ending love for a good game and brilliant skills in production and lyrics, I knew I couldn’t expect nothing less. The same goes with DN³ who is as passionate as Amerigo when it comes to video games and music. That’s a fact that was heartly confirmed by another enthusiast, Mega Ran, who did his part in creating a nostalgic journey of Final Fantasy VII with Lost Perception in 2011 with the album “Black Materia”. The job is so well done here that even certified know-it-all geeks will find challenging recognizing some of the compositions sampled in the album. Some are pretty obvious, but some – oh, boy – not even by a long shot.

Of course, like every thing in the world, not everything is for everybody and that applies to this album as well. There’s nothing ‘gangsta’ about it, nothing ‘hardcore’ about it. This is a blissful album with positive topics and feel-good instrumentals for everyday mood boosts and nostalgic trips for every JRPG fans out there that dig hip-hop. In short, a small masterpiece definitely worth of checking out.

The album is already available for listening in its regular, 12-track-long form on YouTube, and can also be purchased on Bandcamp in a digital format. The party went all in with this release, so with the standard edition of the album available to pre-order on vinyl, CD and cassette, you can get a deluxe edition (dubbed “New Game+”) that feature bonus remixed tracks, but also a collector’s edition with the whole audio bundle, a T-shirt, a mousepad, signatures, some stickers…y’know, something like you would purchase of a AAA game, extra limited. It costs quite a coin, but it’s one hellova collectible.
All of that is available on his website, so if you’re interested in various bundle options be sure to check out this link.

TRACKLIST:
01 • Shores of Dreams (Intro) [prod. Amerigo Gazaway]
02 • The Remedy [prod. DJ DN³]
03 • Right Here [prod. DJ DN³]
04 • Radical Dreamers feat. Mega Ran [prod. DJ DN³]
05 • Starts With Us [prod. DJ DN³]
06 • Lost in Time (Interlude) [prod. Amerigo Gazaway]
07 • Another World [prod. DJ DN³]
08 • Bubblin’ feat. SkyBlew [prod. DJ DN³]
09 • Wings of Time [prod. DJ DN³]
10 • Keep Bouncing [prod. DJ DN³]
11 • End of Time (Outro) [prod. Amerigo Gazaway]
12 • Time Travellin’ [Amerigo remix]

Bonus tracks (deluxe edition)
13 • Another World [DJ DN³ remix]
14 • The Remedy [Lost Perception remix]
15 • Radical Dreamers feat. Mega Ran [K-Murdock remix]
16 • Wings of Time [Amerigo remix]